The Little Jiangnan in Chengdu urban area, once you step in, you don’t want to leave!

In the bustling area of Chengdu urban area

There is a garden museum covering more than one hundred acres

But it is rarely active in the public eye

—— Yiyuan Garden Art Museum

Ancient-style architecture and exquisite bonsai

Have become for many friends

A great place to take photos and stroll

Sichuan-style garden

A popular spot for photography and walking

Arriving at the entrance of Yiyuan Garden Art Museum, the majestic Han-style gate comes into view, isolating the city’s hustle and bustle outside.

Passing through the gate, two stone bull statues seemingly engaged in a contest can be seen; this is the site of the ancient Jinniu Dam, upon which Yiyuan was established.

Yiyuan uses Sichuan-style gardens as its foundation and the I Ching culture as its landscaping philosophy, creating a garden characterized by Shu-style and Han charm, allowing visitors to immediately feel the ancient elegance upon entering. The ducks, white pigeons, and other creatures in Yiyuan add a touch of liveliness to this tranquil garden.

Strolling through Yiyuan, winding paths lead to secluded spots, with ever-changing views. The lakeside pavilions and towers are quaint and antique; their flying eaves and upturned corners blend harmoniously with the blue sky and white clouds, enhancing the garden’s charm.

Gray tiles and white walls, small bridges and long corridors, swings, and black-awning boats… all make for excellent photo opportunities. Wearing Hanfu or Qipao adds even more charm!

Sichuan-style Bonsai

Exploring the “800 Arhat Garden”

The Bonsai Art Museum in Yiyuan is a treasure within the park, divided into multiple sections.

The Bonsai History and Culture Exchange Area allows visitors to understand Chinese bonsai culture through textual and physical bonsai displays.

The Traditional Sichuan-style Bonsai Area uses distinctive and precious trees such as Arhat Pine, Ginkgo, and Crape Myrtle to create elegant bonsai. Among them, the Arhat Pine is Yiyuan’s garden tree. Combined with the I Ching Bagua diagram, 800 Arhat Pine bonsai form the “Arhat Formation,” hence Yiyuan is also nicknamed “Yi Arhat.”

There are also the Improved and Innovative Sichuan-style Bonsai Area, the Millennium Ancient Stump Bonsai Area, the Bonsai Production and Cultivation Area, and the Garden Art Exhibition Area within the park.

Along the winding paths, one can see bonsai of various styles and countless postures. The pine needles are dense and the branches sturdy; their dragon-like shapes demonstrate their tenacious vitality to nature.

Visitors here can not only appreciate the artistic charm of bonsai that “shrink dragons into inches,” but also, through immersive experiences, feel the unique aesthetics of Sichuan-style bonsai, which “imitate nature and achieve exquisite craftsmanship.”

Besides the Bonsai Art Museum, there is also the Yiyuan Art Museum, which mainly exhibits Sichuan-style calligraphy and painting works, and irregular exhibitions are held here.

Summer Limited Edition

Miss It and Wait a Year

In the height of summer, Yiyuan dons its exclusive summer limited edition attire, stunningly beautiful. In the pond, lotus flowers generously spread their petals, revealing tender yellow seed pods, warmly welcoming arriving visitors.

A gentle breeze passes by, causing the lotus flowers and leaves in the pond to sway and dance gracefully, while the elegant fragrance of lotus fills the air.

The lotus flowers of Yiyuan can be called “professional models”: photographed in the morning shrouded in mist, they resemble fairies stepping out of ink paintings; under the noon sun, the petals are translucent like jade cups filled with rosy clouds; at dusk by the pond, one can capture the silhouette of lotus flowers toasting with the sunset glow.

Besides this pond of pure lotus, the trumpet creeper flowers on the eaves of Yiyuan splash an orange-red vibrant midsummer scene among the gray bricks and dark tiles.

The orange-red trumpet creeper flowers accompany the pink-petaled lotus and the fresh green Podocarpus macrophyllus. Closing one’s eyes and taking a deep breath, it feels as if the vitality of the entire midsummer unfolds within the lungs.

Visiting and Touring Guide

Address: Sichuan Yiyuan Garden Art Museum

Admission: Free Entry

Opening Hours:

Yiyuan Museum Opening Hours (6:00-20:00);

Yiyuan Art Gallery Opening Hours (10:00-16:00, closed on Mondays)

Transportation Guide:

Metro: Take Line 2 and get off at Yingbin Avenue Station, then walk for 10 minutes;

Bus: Take routes 43/339/62/100/323/310 and get off at Jinniu Hotel Station.